The Start... Second Time Around

I'm about to start a journey into Topical Steroid Withdrawal. This will be my second time going down this terrible road. Back in June 2011, after being on 0.025% triamcinolone cream for about 1.5 years, I stopped using the topical steroid (TS) when I stopped ingesting sugars. My eyes were watering and my fingers were all broken out. I couldn't go anywhere without tissue due to tears running out of my eyes. I could't wash my hands without extreme pain as soap got into the small cuts and broken skin.

I thought that when I stopped giving my body all that sugar that my skin just exploded in rash. I had rash in places that I never applied the steroid. It was so bad it was scary to me and my family. I happened to stop applying the steroid at the same time in hopes that once my body adjusted to the sugar withdrawal that I'd see the rash improve. I wouldn't know unless I stopped the TS, right?

Looking back now, I realize that it wasn't the sugar removal from my diet that caused the rash but instead a withdrawal symptom from no longer applying the TS. I even had the idea that I had candida (systemic yeast infection) and that it wasn't liking new low-sugar/carb diet I put myself on. Those first few weeks of my supposed "sugar withdrawal" were horrible. Rash was red and mean looking. They scaled over again and again and shed white flaky skin. I could lean over and drag my nails over my neck and make it snow dead skin cells. My ears would shed as well, and they cracked behind the ears and oozed puss long the cracks.

After three months and visit back to the dermatologist, who told me again that long term use of topical steroids wouldn't cause me any harm, I started using it again. He advised a 2 week course and it cleared the rash up with no problem. I was then back on a cycle of applying TS at least once a week to keep the rash at bay.

Now, after multiple elimination diets, supplements, probiotics, and environmental changes I've come to the conclusion that no matter what I have done nothing has made a difference. Looking back I see that the only constant during all of this has been the use of TS.

This time I go into topical steroid withdrawal fully aware of what I'm about to do to myself. I know it isn't going to be pretty and I'm going to be miserable. It's going to burden my family, but at least everyone knows what to expect this time around.

For the record, I stopped using TS on my body just over a week ago, except for my arms. I last applied to my arms on May 15, 2013. As I sit here,  three days later, my arms are now breaking out and will soon match the rest of my "rashed" body.